Episode 11: Marshall your Defense

We begin the episode with the obligatory recap, emphasizing that the loyalty of Syd's Mom is unknown. Sloan is a full board member of the Alliance. Etc.

We open to Syd jogging to gain entry to the CIA top-secret location. Kendall thanks Syd for coming. Syd tells Kendall that the camera they took was an early prototype (i.e. not the one they were really after). The camera can see through solid matter for a depth of up to 100 meters according to Marshall. It is apparently on a satellite that is about to be launched. They want Syd to talk to her mother, again. Vaughn's opinion is asked. He admits he's biased, but also admits that Syd is a certified Rambaldi expert. Kendall tells Syd the sooner they know what she knows, the sooner she doesn't have to speak to her mother again.

Jack is seeing the shrink again. Jack wants help to convince Syd not to talk to Irina again. He wants a strategy with the necessary subtlety. The shrink says she is not in the habit of helping a father manipulate his daughter. Jack tries to convince the shrink that this is what is good for the agency. The shrink points out the Jack still thinks of Irina as Laura.

Syd talks to Irina. Syd asks about the satellite. Irina brings up Syd's piano lessons when she was 6. She reminds Syd about he first thing her teacher reminder about music. Which was music is math - if you can count you can play. There is a Rambaldi music box. The music is a code to open something. The music won't play without the proper combination. Irina asks Syd what part she played in the Thanksgiving play that occurred right after Irina left. Syd says she doesn't remember - it was right about that time she was told her mother died.

We return from the first break. Jack and Syd talk. Jack has read Vaughn's brief. Syd admits to having gaps in her memory about the time that Irina/Laura left. Syd asks about the play. She was a turkey - the only turkey that was spared to celebrate the harvest. Syd says she knows he doesn't like her talking to "Mom." Jack tells her he trusts her judgment.

Marshall shows Syd a nifty briefcase - that isn't done yet. It has something to do with her being able to go fast in the ducts. She has to get out before the rocket launches or she'll be a tad crispy. Sloan gives Syd a seed box that belonged to his wife Emily. Sloan says he feels most at home at the office. He feels paralyzed at home. Sloan says that Emily's garden seems to have died with her. Syd says it's not his fault. Sloan gives her an odd look, and then wishes her luck in Sri Lanka. Vaughn gives Syd another nifty device so that they can trace her. Vaughn tells Syd that they want to meet with Will again. They want to see if he remembers seeing somebody on the plane.

Syd tells Will about the request. Francie comes in. Syd is off to Sri Lanka but will be back to help with the opening of Francie's restaurant. Sloan is shown at home. Emily's garden is in full bloom.

We return from the second break. We are now in Sri Lanka. Syd's partner, Dixon, confirms Sark is in the facility. Syd arrives, driving a sports car. Syd tries to make a call, but is told she can't, it would interfere with the launch. She has to use a landline. Dixon obtains access via the landline to their system. Syd puts her escort to sleep with a spray from her watch, dons a red suit, and prepares to ride the rocket-suitcase through the ducts. She makes it to the position. Dixon shuts down surveillance for 5 minutes. Sark appears to be panicky and asks what the problem is. Syd checks in with Dixon - she now has 3 minutes. The power surge that took out the surveillance will not interfere with the launch according to the man in charge. Sark insists on continuing with the launch on schedule. Dixon tells Syd to get out. And we break for the network to pay bills.

We return from break number three. Alarms are blaring. Syd continues her task. Dixon keeps telling her to get out. Syd gets the camera and rushes to get out before the rocket takes off (and she gets crispy crittered). The rocket takes off, with Syd barely ahead of the blast. Syd makes it out. She leaves as Sark watches the rocket take off.

Back home, Will has a message on the windshield of his jeep - with instructions on where to go. Will and Vaughn meet in an elevator. The CIA had to make sure that SD-6 wasn't following him. Vaughn tells Will they want him to take a hypnotherapy session. They'd like for him to do it now, Will protests that he's supposed to help Francie. Vaughn asks if he could do it tomorrow. Will asks about Syd, the wrong numbers and her rushing out after.

Sloan says that they intercepted a communication thanks to the theft Syd and Dixon pulled off. Marshall reveals a satellite photo that has the mark of Rambaldi on the frozen tundra. Syd is sent on another mission. Jack is asked to remain behind by Sloan. Sloan asks for a favor. Sloan says he underestimated the effect of his grief from Emily's death. He asks Jack to monitor him. To make sure "his cards aren't starting to show." Sloan tells Jack that the day before her death, Emily reserved a room for them at a bed and breakfast in Sonoma. Sloan feels her presence around him all the time.

Will is in the hypnotherapy session. He's back in the cargo plane on the way to Taipei. He's afraid they're going to kill him. He can see Sark working on his laptop. The screen is too far away for Will to see. He is asked to think ahead to when they took him off the plane. They carry him off the plane. He can't see the computer he's moving too fast. They tell him to stop when he gets to the computer. He reads off names - they are Russian authors: Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Checkov, and Nabokov. Syd doubts that this is the code. Vaughn tells her to try anyway.

Syd takes the code to her mother. Irina requires a pen and paper to decipher. Irina comments that Syd hasn't asked why she tried to shoot her own daughter. She gives Syd the code. Irina doesn't want to lose the chance to explain herself someday. Before leaving, Syd tells Irina that she was a turkey in the play. Irina says thank you. Jack observed the whole exchange.

We return from break four. Syd and Dixon are in a blizzard. Dixon points out that if they fall through the ice, they would freeze in four seconds. Back in the US, Sloan is at his desk at home. We see a photo of Emily. Sloan gets a garbled phone call. Sloan asks for back trace on the call he just received. It came from a bed and breakfast in Sonoma County, California.

Syd is in a snow/ice cave. She has snow crusted on her face. She finds a large black thing. Syd says the ice looks unstable and she's going radio silent until she passes through. Jack pays Irina a visit. Irina speaks first. She had a picture of his face in her mind for 20 years. She remembers a loving man, a patriot. She talks about the illusion of their marriage being overwhelming for her at times. She can see that the illusion is broken now just by looking at him. Jack tells her there are people there who believe that she can repay the debt she owes to the country. He isn't one of them. Irina tells Jack that he hasn't told Syd of what he did to her after she disappeared.

Syd makes contact with Vaughn. The big black thing was the music box. Dixon and his crew get a reading of 4 people approaching. They are going for the entrance. Dixon can't reach Syd. Syd engages the music box. One of the SD-6 agents is shot through the ice. Another agent is shot. Dixon is still trying to reach Syd. Syd confirms that the CIA got the recording of the music box then destroys it by spraying it. Dixon reaches Syd via the radio as Sark reaches Syd. Syd gives Sark the music box as he requested. Sark begins shooting. Syd falls into the ice. She is trapped below the ice as it refreezes.

Next week - he's a loving father with a dreadful secret and her mother is the only one who knows. How far will he go to keep the secret?

They promote a pair of books about Alias and it's over for another week.